The Cave and the Light: Plato Versus Aristotle, and the Struggle for the Soul of Western Civilization by Arthur Herman

Manual on the history of philosophy and its most important ideas for the use of the sloth. From Heraclitus on, the list is endless and the book is long, but clear and well explained without being either too shallow or dramatically dark. If you need to refresh your "philosophy" bu think that "Sophie's World" is too long and boring, this book is perfect!